Plastics experiments, metalworking and race car construction at Girl's Day 2024
On 25.04.2024 it was time again: at the annual Girl's Day, interested schoolgirls were given a practical insight into exciting technical processes.
At the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Plastics Technology at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, a group of eight schoolgirls gained many insights into the manufacture of plastic products: In injection molding, the students first filled plastic granulate into a large machine, which melted the plastic and injected it automatically into a mold. After the plastic had cooled and hardened, practical drinks cups were produced. In another experiment, liquefied plastic was inflated in the middle with air like a balloon, creating a long tube of film that could later be used to make plastic bags or film for gardening. In thermoforming, the students used heat and a suitable mold to form cups from a flat, thin plastic blank. Yoghurt pots, for example, are produced industrially in this way. In rapid prototyping, also known as 3D printing, liquid material is applied layer by layer and hardened so that the workpiece grows in height.
Another eight students made key rings in the form of a personal name tag and a small duck in the mechanical workshop under expert guidance. The individual inscription on the aluminum name tag required precision with the hammer and accuracy when striking the letters. For the little duck, the students first cut a sheet of metal before milling the typical body shape from it. Then all the edges had to be thoroughly deburred and rounded off with a file. The brass wheels were produced on the lathe and then fitted with a rivet. Both the nameplate and the duck are lasting memories of an entertaining morning. The pupils learned about some of the typical activities involved in metalworking.
"A day as a racing car engineer" with the FaSTDa Formula Student Team from Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences was another exciting offer for eight older schoolgirls aged 13-16. The young people were able to get to know the technology of the racing cars, both conventional and, more recently, electrically powered, which were developed entirely by the students from various disciplines. They also built a planetary gearbox themselves and soldered together a small electronics console and a brake light. This gave the participants an exciting insight into the various fields of activity of mechanical, mechantronic and electrical engineers.
Information on the study and training opportunities at the Department of Mechanical and Plastics Engineering and lunch together in the canteen rounded off the visit to Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. (Bak)
Information on our mechanical engineering, mechatronics and plastics technology courses: https://fbmk.h-da.de/studienangebot/uebersicht
Information on vocational training at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences: https://h-da.de/hochschule/arbeiten-an-der-hochschule/ausbildung
FaSTDa as a link to https://fastda-racing.de
